Orlando Magic breaks through with Game 3 victory over Los Angeles Lakers

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic fought their way back into the NBA Finals Tuesday night in Amway Arena, taking a 108-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers still lead the series 2-1, but the Magic, led by Dwight Howard's 21 points and 14 rebounds and Rafer Alston's 20 points kept the Magic alive.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 31 points.

Third quarter

The Magic cooled off in the third quarter, but still managed to extend their lead to eight at one point, their largest advantage of the series, and held an 81-75 lead through three quarters.

Guard Rafer Alston has carried the bulk of the offensive load for the Magic with 19 points, but Dwight Howard has 17, Rashard Lewis 15 and Hedo Turkoglu 14 for Orlando through three quarters.

The Lakers are still led by Kobe Bryant's 26 points.

Alston has hit 8 of 11 shots from the field on the night. Howard has 13 rebounds, more than twice as many as the Lakers' leader Trevor Ariza who has six.

Second quarter

Shooting an NBA Finals record 75 percent in the first half, the Magic took a 59-54 lead into the halftime dressing room and sent the sellout crowd at Amway Arena into a mid-way frenzy.

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who had 17 first-quarter points, scored just four in the second quarter and had just four shot attempts.

Magic center Dwight Howard is perfect from the field in three attempts, while Rafer Alston has 13 points on 5 of 7 shooting and Hedo Turkoglu has 12 points on 5 of 6 shooting.

The Magic has 17 assists on 24 field goals. Orlando attempted 32 shots in the first half.

First quarter

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant scored 17 points to overcome a hot-shooting first quarter by the Orlando Magic as the Lakers led 31-27 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at the end of one quarter Tuesday night in Amway Arena.

Bryant's three-point play - he suckered Magic guard Mickael Pietrus into leaving his feet then sank a prayer from the baseline - pushed L.A. ahead as it sought to take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The Magic was 11 of 16 from the field in the first quarter, hitting 68.8 percent to the Lakers' 58.3.

But Bryant's hot hand was the different in the first 12 minutes.

Guard Rafer Alston leads Orlando with 11 points. He has not missed in four attempts from the field and has a 3-pointer.

Pregame

Los Angeles Lakers Coach Phil Jackson tossed some accelerant on smoldering embers that refused to be extinguished here Tuesday night, saying Lakers forward Pau Gasol should have been called for basket interference on a last-second regulation miss by Orlando Magic guard Courtney Lee on Sunday night.

Had officials made that call, the Magic would have won Game 2, 90-88 in regulation instead of losing 101-96 in overtime in Staples Center.

Gasol's right hand brushed the net and the tips of his fingers also hit the under side of the basket.

According to NBA rules, No. 11, section 1, Article H it states that a player will not "vibrate the rim, net or backboard so as to cause the ball to make an unnatural bounce, or bend or move the rim to an off-center position when the ball is touching the ring or passing through."

NBA supervisor of officials Bernie Fryer has gone on record saying the correct call was made.

"The rule is kind of archaic," Jackson said. "It isn't called in this day and age as much. In high school, that was something that was called basket interference. He didn't interfere with the shot. That wasn't something that destroyed the shot. His hand got caught in the rim in that one, no doubt about it. Basket interference according to the rules."

Orlando Coach Stan Van Gundy has accepted the outcome.

"You know what, I'm not going to get into calls," Van Gundy said. "Calls didn't decide that game. I don't think his hand being there or not being there had anything to do with the shot going in or not. You're not going to get a complaint from me on that call."

Jackson, whose team entered Tuesday's game with a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, pointed out that officials also missed a Dwight Howard goal-tending call earlier in the game when Howard's hand went completely through the basket on a first-quarter block which, if called, would have given Los Angeles another two points.